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15 new EPSO AST 3 positions have been offered in the curator and conservation and collection management assistant roles in the EU. Learn about the EPSO selection process for these two competitions and get practice materials so you’ll be fully prepared.

What are the EPSO Jobs?

There are two different positions in this competition, both in the EPSO/AST/136/15 bracket. They are:

Assistant curator (AST 3): 10 positions

In this position you will work with the administrator responsible for the development of museum exhibitions, notably for temporary and travelling exhibitions, updating the permanent exhibition, researching content and objects, enriching the museum collection and drafting related publications.

Conservation and collection management assistant (AST 3): 5 positions

In this position you will assist with preserving the HEH collection and objects on loan, monitoring storage and exhibition environment as well as other related tasks.

What is the EPSO selection process?

There are three main sections of the EPSO selection process which we will expand on below:

EPSO Application Form: There are a number of different sections to this application form. Apart from the basic personal information you also have to complete a number of motivational questions and a talent screener. The questions on the motivational section include:

How is your education and experience relevant to this particular profile?

What specific contribution do you think you could make to the work of the European institutions and agencies?

Outline two of your main achievements. Describe what they are, the process you went through and their positive outcomes for you and for others.

You have a maximum of 2000 characters to complete your answers so they have to be to the point as well as show exactly why you are worthy of an EPSO job. As well as this you have to complete a talent screener which asks various questions on the job position itself. The questions focus on your skills and abilities performing such roles in the past and your relevant scholastic achievements. This is a very important section as it is scored. Only the top 50-60 applicants are invited to the EPSO assessment centre and if your score isn’t high enough in the EPSO talent screener you will not be invited.

EPSO Multiple Choice Computer Based Tests

There are three different tests in this section on your EPSO selection process. These tests are taken in your first language and will be administered in one the Prometric testing centres in any one of the European countries.

When taking these tests it is important to remember that you are up against stiff competition. Scraping the pass mark will not guarantee you anything apart from a rejection. The best way to prepare yourself for these tests is taking EPSO simulation tests that give you the skills and knowledge needed to really do well. Try our EPSO simulation tests to gain the skills and confidence to go into the testing centre with confidence.

EPSO Assessment Centre

If you have been one of the highest scorers in the EPSO tests and talent screener you will be invited to attend the assessment centre in Brussels. There are four separate assessments during the day. Each of them assesses you on specific competencies detailed in the EPSO competency framework. For more information on the specific competencies that you are tested on for each of the exercises see the AD blog on the same competition. They activities you will face are:

Group exercise: You are given a brief that is approximately 15 pages long. You have 15 minutes to go through the information followed by a 50 minute discussion.

Case Study: As above you are given a brief that is about 15-20 pages in length. You have 90 minutes to compose a report on the subject and are given specific guidelines telling you how you should do so. For more information and to get expert guidance see our dedicated page.

General competency- based interview: This is a panel interview with two assessors. You are asked questions on specific competencies in a general way. For example, you will be asked about "Resilience": Tell me about a time when you showed resilience. Here you have to answer in a general way, not specific to the position you are applying for.

Specific competency- based interview: Similar to the previous interview this assesses you on the competencies. However here you have to give competency examples of situations directly relating to the job. As above, you should answer the questions in the STAR method as this showcases your skills in the most complete fashion.

How can I prepare for this EPSO Competition?

At JobTestPrep we have a plethora of different EPSO preparation packages for both the EPSO tests and assessment centre. Feel free to browse through our products. If you have any questions concerning this or any other EPSO competition please contact us and we will do our best to answer within 24 hours. Looking forward to having you on board!